Does Chamomile Tea Make You Sleepy?

Do you struggle to fall asleep at night? 

You’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹ found that 14.5 percent of adults had trouble falling asleep in 2020, and 17.8 percent also had trouble staying asleep. Considering how important sleep is to your overall health, you need every bit of it you can get.

That’s why helping yourself to a tasty cup of chamomile tea before bed has grown in popularity over the years. The ancient Egyptians and Romans were fond of this floral brew, claiming there were many health benefits of chamomile — most importantly, that it relaxed them and helped them get to sleep with relative ease.

We continue this tradition of drinking tea to get to our Zzzs quicker, but does chamomile tea actually make you sleepy, or is it just the placebo effect at play?

We’re debunking myths with bona fide sleep science to determine if chamomile tea is truly your ticket to dreamland or just getting by on reputation alone. We’ll cover what chamomile is, how it may help you sleep better, other proven health benefits of chamomile tea, and more.

What Is Chamomile Tea?

The ancient Egyptians are regarded as the first to observe the healing effects of chamomile, so they revered the chamomile flower as sacred and used it extensively in medicine. They lauded its calming effects, concocted digestive remedies, and Cleopatra herself would use it as part of her skin care routine.

The Egyptians primarily ground chamomile into a powder for use as herbal medicine and topical applications, but they also drank chamomile tea for its mild flavor and calming effects. Now, six thousand years later, we’re still partaking in this popular bedtime ritual in hopes of settling down and drifting off to sleep more easily.

That’s why chamomile remains one of the most popular herbal teas in the world. It’s naturally soothing, easy on the stomach, and caffeine-free, making it a great choice at bedtime or really anytime you’re looking for a warm cup to give you feelings of calmness, coziness, and comfort.

How Chamomile Tea May Affect Sleep

Could drinking tea before bed really be the difference between tossing and turning for hours each night and getting better sleep quality?

According to Planta Medica², it’s theoretically possible, and it all comes down to an antioxidant called apigenin. Apigenin binds to the “central benzodiazepine receptors” in the brain, which are the same receptors targeted by anti-anxiety medications to produce a feeling of calmness and a mild sedative effect, which may promote drowsiness and make it easier to fall asleep.

Because of apigenin, chamomile should have sleep-inducing properties and work effectively as a sleep aid, yet the community remains divided on the topic. Some people feel ready to hit the hay after a small cup of the good stuff, whereas others may not feel drowsy at all, which gives credence to the theory that chamomile is not an effective sleep supplement, but a placebo.

Scientific Evidence on Chamomile and Sleep

Research also remains largely divided on the efficacy of chamomile tea as a sleep aid.

A 2024 meta analysis in Complementary Therapies in Medicine³ determined that “chamomile improved sleep, especially the number of awakenings after sleep or staying asleep,” but it also conceded that “it did not lead to an improvement in the duration of sleep, percentage of sleep efficiency, and daytime functioning measures.” This systematic review encompassed 10 studies and a combined 772 participants, but the results were a mixed bag.

Some studies have provided some overwhelming positive results in favor of chamomile as a sleep aid. For example, a 2017 clinical trial⁴ found that “chamomile extract can significantly improve sleep quality among elderly people.”

Another 2016 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Advanced Nursing⁵ also noted that “chamomile tea may be recommended to postpartum women as a supplementary approach to alleviating depression and sleep quality problems.”

One might think that, based on those findings, the benefits of chamomile tea and chamomile supplements are undeniable. There are some limiting factors to consider, however, namely the small control group sizes and relatively short study durations. For these reasons, the medical community still does not unequivocally accept that chamomile is a proven natural remedy for sleep disorders, insomnia, or other sleep-related issues.

Other Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea

The jury’s out on whether or not chamomile tea actually works as an effective sleep aid, but you can still drink it on the regular to reap some other enticing rewards.

Digestive Support

A 2022 review in Molecules⁶ described chamomile as “a promising gastro-protective herb,” stating that chamomile tea helps relieve many common digestive symptoms, such as stomach spasms, flatulence, and stomachaches.

Another 2022 study in Pharmaceuticals (Basel)⁷ also found that chamomile may be effective for soothing the stomach, but noted that it may also be helpful in relieving or preventing stomach ulcers due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

So, even if chamomile tea doesn’t make you sleepy, it may be worth your while to brew a cup before bed anyway so you soothe your stomach before sleeping.

Antioxidant Rich

Chamomile’s special sleepytime sauce comes from an antioxidant called apigenin, but that’s not all. Chamomile tea boasts a robust variety of flavonoids, phenols, and terpenoids, which support a healthy immune system and may play a role in preventing certain diseases.

In fact, a 2025 systematic review in Pharmaceutical Biology⁸ found that chamomile may have “pharmacological properties, which include anticancer, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, hypoglycemic, antihypertensive, hypolipidemic, antiallergy, antidepressant, and organ-protective effects.”

From reducing symptoms of the common cold to potentially slowing the growth of cancer cells, chamomile has shown many positive effects for promoting better health and wellness beyond just better sleep.

Anxiety Reduction

You may also consider a calming cup of chamomile tea if you tend to stress out during the day, as the apigenin that’s responsible for those feelings of drowsiness triggers GABA receptors in the brain and may help reduce anxiety as well.

According to a 2024 systematic review in Clinical Nutrition Research⁹, the results of nine different studies have concluded that “chamomile is effective in reducing anxiety.” The review also noted that consuming chamomile may be effective and less dangerous than medications commonly prescribed to treat generalized anxiety disorders due to the alarming potential side effects of these drugs.

Of course, if you suffer from a diagnosed or potential anxiety disorder, you should discuss the potential anxiolytic effects of chamomile with your doctor before making it your primary method of managing your symptoms. Chamomile may be helpful, but it’s not right for everyone, and only a qualified medical professional can provide you with personalized medical advice.

Caffeine-Free

One final perk of chamomile: It’s naturally caffeine-free!

That means, unlike black or green tea, you can drink as much of it as you can stomach and not wind up wired and jittery. Drink it right before bed, drink it in the middle of the day, and just enjoy its naturally caffeine-free goodness whenever you need a little pick-me-up and a quick boost to your overall health and wellness.

Potential Chamomile Downsides and Precautions

Just because chamomile offers a vast array of potential health benefits doesn’t mean that it’s for everyone. There may be downsides or side effects that make it less than ideal or even unsafe.

For example, some people may have an allergic reaction after consuming or coming in contact with chamomile, especially those with sensitivities to other flowers in the Asteraceae family, like ragweed, daisies, marigolds, and chrysanthemums.

In addition, a 2024 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine¹⁰ found that chamomile displayed some anticoagulant properties, meaning it would take those who had consumed chamomile a longer time for their blood to clot. The trial determined that “the clinical significance of this is unclear… and warrants further investigation,” but individuals taking blood thinners may consider consulting their healthcare provider prior to partaking in the use of chamomile products.

Pregnant women may also consider discussing the risks of using chamomile products during pregnancy, as a 2025 review in Cureus¹¹ stated that chamomile may negatively impact “preterm labor/delivery, miscarriage risk, and birth weight and length.” For this reason, it’s very important for pregnant women to discuss the benefits and risks of using chamomile with a doctor or other qualified medical professional.

Tips for Drinking Chamomile Tea for Sleep

Are you ready to incorporate chamomile tea into your bedtime routine? We here at Sleepopolis know a thing or two about getting great sleep quality, so here are a few quick tips for getting the most bang for your buck when drinking chamomile tea before sleep.

• Timing matters: We’re never apt to recommend drinking a ton of liquid right before bed, but enjoying your chamomile tea about 30 to 45 minutes before bed should work nicely.
• Brew it well: We find that steeping your tea bag for about five minutes offers the perfect combination of floral flavor and sleepytime goodness.
• Set the mood: You probably won’t feel relaxed if you’re blasting Metallica while you sip your tea. To each their own, but we find you’ll get the best effect from your chamomile if you settle down, dim the lights, avoid screens, and get cozy as you enjoy your tea. 

Remember — it’s a cup of herbal tea, not a magic knockout potion. Pair your chamomile tea with other healthy sleep practices, and your body will get the message that it’s time to turn in.

Conclusion

People have been drinking chamomile tea for centuries for its many health benefits, including its ability to relax the body, calm the mind, and potentially help you fall asleep more easily. Because of these alleged effects, chamomile’s efficacy has been researched extensively to determine if it does function well as a sleep aid or if it’s just a placebo.

Studies remain inconclusive to date, but there is an overwhelming amount of support for the idea that chamomile is the real deal. Regardless, chamomile tea is a healthy drink with few or no side effects, making it well worth a try if you’re struggling to sleep at night.